Although the public is aware of the facts about dengue, citizens aren’t as active in eradicating the mosquito-borne disease.
This was the assessment of Department of Health regional director Myrna Cabotaje as she bared the 52-percent increase in dengue cases in the region this year.
As of January to June 14 this year, DOH has already recorded a total of 247 cases, as compared to only 158 cases in the same period last year.
Cabotaje said the increase could be seen mostly in Baguio and Benguet with 60 and 134 cases, respectively. In Baguio City, 13 hotspots have already been identified. An area is declared as a hotspot if two or more cases are recorded in a span of two weeks, the doctor said.
Among the barangays in the city identified with the most number of cases are: A. Bonifacio-Caguioa-Rimando, Loakan proper, Lourdes Extension, New Lucban, Quezon Hill proper, Camp 7, and Asin.
Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, chair of the city council committee on health, said that the residents and leaders of these barangays and the neighboring barangays should do something about the health problem. “It is a wake up call for everybody. This is not a permanent situation. It could add, multiply, and transfer.”
In the other provinces, Abra has recorded nine cases, Ifugao - five, Kalinga - two, and Mountain Province - eight. Cabotaje said Apayao has also started reporting the number of dengue cases this year and that they already have three dengue victims.
Only the province of Ifugao noted a decline in the number of cases from 21 cases during the same period last year.
Cabotaje said the factors for the increase are global warming, congestion, and lack of vigilance.
“Ang isang pinaka-significant factor ay global warming,” she said. With the increasing temperature, she said “mas nabubuhay ang mga lamok.
Yung mga kitikiti mas mabilis maging lamok.” She added that this has been a phenomenon observed even in other countries.
She also said that the congestion of residences brought about by urbanization is another factor in the increase especially in Baguio City.
“Basically, it’s an urban disease. Mas magkakalapit [yung mga bahay, mas madaling kumalat.]”
“We are taking less care of the environment,” she said. “Dapat naglilinis tayo, hindi yung simpleng pagwawalis lang. We have to search and des-troy all the areas na pwedeng pamugaran ng mga lamok.”
She said there is no problem with regard to awareness, it’s more of actually putting the knowledge into practice. “We are aware but we are doing less. We are not destroying the breeding places of the mosquitoes,” Cabotaje said.
June is observed as Dengue Awareness month as the disease peaks at the onset of the rainy season. |
